Portrayal of Women in Bollywood Adult Comedies: Understanding Stereotypes

Abstract

Media has the power to influence the popular perceptions held by the public, they can either uplift and strengthen the image of a group or devalue it. The present study aims to examine and understand the impact of adult Bollywood comedy movies on the perceived social reality by the consumers of such content with a special emphasis on gender differences. A qualitative study was conducted with a cross-sectional research design, employing close-ended interviews on a sample of 30 participants to explore the impact of cinema on perception of women in society in everyday life. It was observed that respondents were able to discern the existing strong gender stereotypes in the female character portrayals with female participants being more sensitive and observant towards discrepancies in the real-life and reel depiction of female roles.  These prevalent stereotypes put unrealistic expectations for women to uphold in their relationships as well as personal conduct